Improvement in paniers



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Paniers.

Patented August 19, 1873.

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JULIA S. COLBY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

IMPROVEMENT IN PANIERS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 141,854, dated August 19, 1873; application filed January 1?, 1872.

To all whom it may concern: Be it known that I, JULIA S. COLBY, of the city of New York, in the county of New York and State of New York, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Paniers for Ladies Wear; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description there of and of its construction and action, reference being had to the accompanying drawings and to the letters of reference marked thereon and making a part of this specification,

My invention consists in the production of an improved panier of novel construction, by

which is more perfectly secured the effect sought for from the use of such article, and by which thereis given to the dress worn over it a more graceful and beautiful appearance, and the person of the wearer is more completely relieved from the weight of the dress worn.

Figure 1 is a perspective view from behind the panier; and Fig. 2 is a front view of the same. i

The panier, in its general construction, resembles a skeleton skirt, having a waistband, a, from which is supported a series of vertical tapes, b b b, having horizontal or inclined hoops or braces c c 0 attached to such tapes by clasps, or in any suitable manner. Such skeleton is not, however, intended to extend around or to encircle the person, like ordinary skeleton skirts, but is intended to be worn only at the back of the person, and the curvature or projection of the hoops or braces may be varied so as to give different degrees of prominence to the dress resting upon it, or so as to be conformed to varying styles of dress. To secure more graceful hanging or flowing of the dress, by preventing its undue swaying from'side to side, as well as to give any desired projection to the lower part of the panier-skirt, there is, or may be, attached to each front vertical tape b I) a wing or piece of cloth, d d, the opposite sides or edges of which connect together by laces e 0. Such wings rest against the under garments of the wearer, and by making such laces looser or tighter the entire panier-skirt will hang closer to or farther from the person of the wearer. The contact of these wings at d with the other garments of thewearer will also have a tendency to prevent any undue swinging or side motion of such panier-skirt andof the dress over it. In the larger sizes a strap, f, or its equivalent is or may be also connected to the front tapes I) b, for the purpose of fastening in front of the person and holding the panier in position and preventing side swaying thereof, and which may be tighter or looser, as desired. At the top of the panier skirt, near to the waistband and on the inner or under side of the upper series of horizontal or inclined hoops, I arrange a series of circular or circularly-shaped springs or hoops, g g g, usually one for each vertical tape 1), which are placed substantially vertically, as shown in the figures, and radiating outward from the person. These circular or circularly-shaped springs vary in size from about four or five inches to three or three and a half inches in diameter-the largest being placed in the middle and the smaller on either side-and are usually fixed or located immediately under or in front of the vertical tapes b b, for convenience of firmly fastening thereto. Such springs g g g should also be covered or protected with cloth bands or strips toward the person, for greater ease or comfort to the wearer. In front of such springs, and securely fixed or fastened thereto, I also place one or more horizontal wires or braces, 5 z, which are of a length sufficient to reach nearly or quite to the front ends of the upper outer horizontal hoops j j, and to which they are rigidly connected at each end, as shown at 70 7c in the drawings. Such circular or circularly-shaped springs g g g are thus placed between and securely fastened to and held by two series of horizontal or horizontally-inclined braces. This arrangementand particularly the connecting the ends of the wires or braces t i and j j together--I deem important, as thereby all turning sidewise of such springs g g g or circular hoops is wholly prevented, and they are securely held and retained in their proper places. The inner horizontal braces i c, extending in front of the whole series of circular springs, relieve also the body of the wearer from any unpleasant pressure of the circular hoops. By making such hoops gg in circular form they can be made of very light material or wire, while, at the same time, they will have great supporting-power, and will easily retain in position, without any discomfort to the wearer, the heaviest dress. The form of such springs also renders them very pliable, readily yielding to any pressure, as when the wearer rests or inclines against any object, and immediately assuming their proper shape when the pressure is removed. Such springs maybe circular, as shown in the drawings, or may be made straight or flat toward the body of the wearer and circular or curved only on their outer or outward-projecting faces.

As ordinarily constructed, the panier and the skirt connected with it, when worn, is supported by means of the waistband a, which has to be worn comparatively tight, and the whole weight of the garments and dress thus necessarilyrests and presses upon thehips and lower part of the body. This is not only uncomfortable, but is greatly injurious to the health of the wearer. To remove such discomfort and prevent such injurious result, I so construct the panier that it can be, to a great extent, supported from the corset or waist of the dress, instead of wholly by the waistband, and thus relieve the hips from the pressure that otherwise would so continually bear upon them. Such method of support is obtained by attaching to the Waistband a hook, I, which can be hooked into an eye or loop fixed to or made in the corset or waist or under dress. The drawings show but one such hook, placed at the back part of the waistband, but a similar hook may be fixed in front, if desired. Such sup- Witnesses:

J. WILSON GREEN, D. BoLEYN. 

